For Alphas who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the condition causes the lungs to gradually lose their ability to get enough oxygen to the body. One way to slow down the progression of COPD is to keep your chest muscles active through aerobic exercise, stretching, strengthening, and special breathing exercises. Stretching and Strength Training … Read more
When you don’t feel like exercising you can come up with all kinds of excuses. We get it: exercise is the worst. There are so many things you could be doing instead. You don’t have time. And so on, and so on. But exercising regularly has too many benefits for us to stand idly by … Read more
You will probably experience times when you are unable to perform your exercise program due to illness or personal changes. When this occurs, you may require a return visit to your physician for re-evaluation or referral to a formal rehabilitation program to re-establish safe performance levels. The basic rules of thumb for exercising during an … Read more
If you haven’t been exercising on a regular basis, your physician may recommend a pulmonary rehabilitation program. This type of program is indicated for the individual who has not participated in a regular exercise program, or for someone who is having difficulty performing activities of daily living at home and work, due to breathlessness and … Read more
So getting active is important, and getting breathless is good for you, but how much is too much? Here are some tips: Start slowly and gradually build up Warm up before and cool down after your exercise If you use an inhaler, carry it while you exercise, use it when you need to Wear loose, … Read more
So how much exercise do I really need to do to be active? Short answer: At least 20 minutes a day of activity that puts you moderately out of breath. Long answer: “If you’re not very active at the moment, the recommendations below might seem overwhelming. Think about how you could do a little every … Read more
Being active strengthens your muscles and increases your fitness. If you avoid activities that make you breathless, your muscles become weaker. Weaker muscles need more oxygen to work. Over time you feel more and more breathless. This is called the vicious cycle of inactivity. The good news is that you can break this vicious cycle … Read more
We’re told all the time how being active is good for us, but for those with a lung condition, it can seem like an impossible task. You’re already tired. It’s already hard to breathe. Won’t exercise just make those worse? “In fact, being active can actually help to improve your breathing and quality of life. … Read more